Minnesota is the site of a high-profile drinking-water contamination case linked with so-called forever chemicals and advocates are hopeful residents will be protected in the future by a new national standard announced Wednesday. The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a final rule which, for the first time, sets a legally enforceable drinking-water benchmark for PFAS chemicals all states will have to follow. Scientists have been highlighting health risks with more detection of PFAS in everyday products and water sources. .
Nonorganic fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemical pesticides, including fungicides which can harm male reproductive systems, according to the 2024 Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Alexa Friedman, senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, explained food is the primary way most people in Wyoming and across the nation are exposed to pesticides, which have been linked to a number of negative health outcomes. "Things like cardio metabolic disorders, different types of diabetes, as well as some cancers," Friedman outlined. " .
A coalition of advocacy groups has helped defeat a bill in the Idaho Legislature which would have given the pesticide industry blanket immunity from liability lawsuits. The Pesticide Immunity Bill, Senate Bill 1245, was defeated 15-to-19 Friday by the Republican-controlled state Senate. The coalition was led by the Idaho Conservation League and included the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association and the Idaho Association of Resource Councils. .
Wildlife advocates are urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign what s known as the Birds and Bees Protection Act. The bill bans neonicotinoids, a neurotoxic pesticide used to coat plants and seeds, since numerous studies have linked these chemicals to massive bee and pollinator die-offs. .
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